Pelicans-Bucks Preview

By JORDAN GARRETSONPosted Feb 11 2014 2:56PM

After an inconsistent performance led to their second loss to a playoff contender in as many nights, the New Orleans Pelicans will end their pre-All-Star break schedule with a much easier opponent.

They'll try to secure a road victory Wednesday night over the injury-riddled Milwaukee Bucks, against whom they've won 12 of 14.

The Pelicans (22-29), who will host this weekend's All-Star festivities, closed out a 7-3 stretch Friday but have since dropped two in a row. They lost 93-81 at Brooklyn on Sunday after getting outscored 51-28 in the first half, and their starters struggled in a 108-101 defeat at Toronto on Monday, with their Raptors counterparts holding an 86-52 scoring edge.

New Orleans' reserves outscored Toronto's 49-22, with Tyreke Evans recording 23 points and 10 assists after sitting out Sunday due to what coach Monty Williams called "internal issues."

Anthony Davis led the Pelicans starters with 19 points - below his season average of 20.7. He had scored at least 24 in each of his previous three games.

"We didn't get a lot of production from the starting group on both ends of the floor," Williams said.

That's been the case for much of the season, as the Pelicans' 65.1 points per game from their starters ranks in the lower third of the league. Their 34.5 bench scoring average is among the top 10.

New Orleans erased a 15-point first-half deficit to tie the Raptors at halftime but couldn't maintain that level of play in the second half, falling behind by 18.

"If you look at the box scores from those quarters, it was just a hole that we dug," Williams said of the first and third periods, when the Pelicans were outscored 64-41.

Sparked by Evans' eight fourth-quarter points, New Orleans again came back, cutting the lead to four.

Knocking off the Bucks (9-42), losers of 18 of 20, likely won't prove as challenging, especially given their injury situation.

Larry Sanders was diagnosed with a fractured right orbital bone after taking an elbow from James Harden in Saturday's loss to Houston. He won't return until after the break.

John Henson could also be out after leaving Monday's 102-86 loss to Boston with a foot injury. The Bucks, already without Ersan Ilyasova and Caron Butler, trailed by two at the start of the fourth quarter but were done in by a 12-4 run.

O.J. Mayo also sat due to an illness.

"We went flat," said point guard Brandon Knight, who scored 22. "Our energy went down and they took advantage of that."

A loss Wednesday would make the Bucks the fifth team since 2000-01 to be eliminated from their division race prior to the All-Star break.

Davis shot 10 for 13 and had 28 points and 10 rebounds in his only career game against Milwaukee, a 117-113 Pelicans loss at the Bradley Center on Nov. 17, 2012.

Copyright 2014 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Gordon scores 21, Pelicans beat Bucks 102-98

By GENARO C. ARMASPosted Feb 13 2014 12:23AM

MILWAUKEE (AP) Anthony Davis had a night to forget in the last game before heading home to New Orleans for his All-Star debut.

The Pelicans pulled out the win by bailing out their imposing big man.

Eric Gordon scored 21 points, center Alexis Ajinca added 16, and the Pelicans headed back to New Orleans for All-Star festivities with a 102-98 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Davis might be in the spotlight when the All-Star Game tips off Sunday in front of his hometown crowd. In Milwaukee, he spent much of the night on the bench.

Two last-minute turnovers by the Bucks and balanced scoring helped the Pelicans snap a two-game skid. Ajinca in particular stabilized the middle with Davis mired in four trouble.

"It's tough when your main player is in foul trouble. When I came in, I just tried to do anything I could to help the team and I got some good looks and put the ball back in," Ajinca said.

Davis ended up playing the fourth quarter with four fouls, providing enough of a presence on both ends of the floor to allow his teammates to go strong to the hoop.

Still, the 6-foot-10 Davis, who came into the night averaging 20.7 points and 10.3 rebounds - finished with just 12 points and one rebound, on the offensive end.

"That's not his normal output and we all know that," coach Monty Williams said. "He's carried us most of the season so if we can win with him having an off night, we'll take it."

Brandon Knight had 22 points, nine assists and no turnovers to lead the Bucks, limited to nine players because of a litany of injuries.

The short-handed Bucks still hung around and Ersan Ilyasova's 3 with 58.7 seconds left got Milwaukee within 100-98.

After Brian Roberts missed a layup, Milwaukee had one last chance, but got tied up in the backcourt and turned the ball over with 9 seconds left.

Ilyasova thought he might have been fouled in a scramble during that possession.

"Yeah I got hit on the arm, I didn't receive the call," he said. "It shouldn't have gotten to that point."

Certainly not with Davis on the bench for long stretches.

But the thin Bucks also missed not having shot-blockers Larry Sanders (eye) and John Henson (ankle) with the Pelicans attacking the basket late.

A layup by Tyreke Evans and soft floater in the lane by Roberts sandwiched around a missed dunk by Ilyasova gave New Orleans a 100-95 lead with 1:06 left before Ilyasova redeemed himself with a 3.

The surge by the Pelicans answered an open 3 from the corner by Nate Wolters that had drawn Milwaukee within one with about 2 minutes left.

But after getting to the hoop for much of the first half with Davis on the bench, the Bucks had trouble getting good looks in the lane after halftime.

Khris Middleton, who finished with 11 points, had two turnovers and a foul in the final 9 seconds.

"With Davis on the bench, we should have capitalized," coach Larry Drew said.

Ilyasova finished with 16 points and nine boards in his first game back since missing two with back spasms, while Roberts had 17 for the Pelicans.

Ajinca came a point short of his career high and finished 7 of 7 from the field. Averaging just 4.0 points a game coming into the night, Ajinca went 4 of 4 in the Pelicans' 37-point third quarter that turned a three-point halftime deficit into a seven-point lead.

"Al was as good as he's been all year with his energy and the plays he made down the stretch," Williams said.

With foul trouble plaguing Davis - the NBA's leader in blocked shots - the Bucks broke through in the middle early and got a boost on the outside from Gary Neal for a 49-46 at halftime. Neal scored 11 of his 18 points in the first half.

NOTES: Williams is 5-1 all-time coaching against the Bucks. ... Pelicans reserve C Greg Stiemsma is a native of Randolph, Wis., and played his college ball at Wisconsin from 2004-8. He was whistled for a technical foul in the fourth quarter. ... The Bucks were the only team that New Orleans had yet to face this season coming into the contest. ... Sanders saw a specialist for his fractured orbital bone, though Drew wasn't sure when he would return.

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Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP

Copyright 2014 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Notebook: Pelicans 102, Bucks 98

THE FACT: The Pelicans beat the Bucks despite foul trouble that limited all-star Anthony Davis to just 20 minutes.

THE LEAD: Eric Gordon scored 21 points and dished out six assists as the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Milwaukee Bucks 102-98 Wednesday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Brian Roberts added 17 points as the Pelicans (23-29) won despite Davis having an off-night because of foul trouble. Davis finished with 12 points and just one rebound, none on the defensive end.

Brandon Knight led Milwaukee (9-43) with 22 points and nine assists, but the Bucks lost for the 10th time in 11 games.

QUOTABLE: "That helps us big-time not giving a team a chance to get easy baskets. We really dug in and were focused in the second half."-- New Orleans' Eric Gordon on committing just two turnovers in the second half

THE STAT: The Pelicans turned the ball over just two times in the second half, a key factor in their scoring 37 third-quarter points.

TURNING POINT: Two nights after committing 21 turnovers that led to 32 Boston points, the Bucks committed just nine turnovers in the first 47:51. Then they committed two in the final 9 seconds to ruin their chances.

QUOTABLE II: "Wow, that's crazy to even think about."-- Roberts on New Orleans winning a game where Davis did not have a defensive rebound

HOT: Center Alexis Ajinca made all seven shots he took to finish with 16 points.

NOT: Bucks center Zaza Pachulia made just 3 of his 11 shots as the Pelicans' length inside had him double-clutching much of the night.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Announced attendance was just 11,102, four fewer than Monday night and a new Bucks' low since moving into the Bradley Center in 1988. And there were far fewer than that actually in the building.

GOOD MOVE: Maybe it's because his options are so limited, but Bucks coach Larry Drew has turned to veteran guard Gary Neal the last two games. Neal, who hadn't played in a home game since Dec. 13, scored 18 points Wednesday night and had 17 on Monday night.

ROOKIE WATCH: Second round pick Nate Wolters had 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Bucks in 33 minutes.

NOTABLE: Second-year forward John Henson was unavailable for Milwaukee because of a sprained right ankle he suffered Monday night against Boston. With Larry Sanders, Ekpe Udoh, Caron Butler, O.J. Mayo and Carlos Delfino already out, that left the Bucks with just nine available players. ... The Pelicans were again without guard forward Ryan Anderson (back) and center Jason Smith (knee). ... Bucks starting guards Knight and Wolters combined for 16 assists and just one turnover. New Orleans' starting guards Roberts and Gordon had 11 assists and just one turnover. ... New Orleans is 13-2 in the last 15 meetings with the Bucks. ... Milwaukee's starting five of Knight, Wolters, Khris Middleton, Ersan Ilyasova and Pachulia was the team's 23rd different starting lineup this season. ... Wolters has made four 3-pointers in his last three games after having just three in his first 37 games. ... Middleton made one of two 3-pointers and is now 17 for 28 from behind the arc over his last six games.